A friend once said to me, “Mess means progress.” We were walking through a building being remodeled and for days afterward, her words echoed in my mind. Mess means progress. She’s an interior designer, so she understands that between the vision and the reality must come the mess.
I thought about how our hearts are often that way too. I personally would like to skip that phase. I want to go straight to the completed project, the resolved struggle, the happy ending to the story. I don’t like the phase where the dust is flying, the hammers are banging, and the paint is half-finished on the wall.
Yet sometimes the mess is necessary for the beauty to happen. So next time we feel a little messy, maybe we can pause and say, “A mess can mean progress.” It means worthwhile work is happening in our hearts. It means good plans are coming to be. It means someone is working out a greater purpose in our lives beyond what we can yet see.
Where do we most often find Jesus? Not in the neat, quiet corners of our lives. Not in the Pinterest-perfect parts. Not in any of the places where we think he’d like to be. No, he is still the carpenter doing the work, and where we often find him is right in the middle of the mess. He’s not afraid of it because he can already see what it will one day become. And he will not quit until it’s done.
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Php. 1:6
Cheering You On,
Holley
MORE FOR YOU
- Sneak peek: In this chaotic world, we need a Shepherd who will take care of us. This coming Thursday on More Than Small Talk, we’re taking a deeper look at Psalm 23 and how these ancient words still speak to our hearts now. Subscribe to the podcast today so it’ll land in your podcast feed automatically!
- If you want more encouragement like this post, you’ll find it in my new devotional, 365 Truths for Every Woman’s Heart. Download a free excerpt.
- Are you a writer who’s trying to make progress but still feeling like your creative work is a mess? Sign up for the free Writer-for-Life newsletter to get encouragement plus practical tips to help you move forward!
